{"id":1926,"date":"2017-06-23T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-06-23T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zenmedia.go4wordpress.com\/2017\/06\/23\/take-user-generated-content-good-great\/"},"modified":"2020-10-26T09:25:13","modified_gmt":"2020-10-26T09:25:13","slug":"take-user-generated-content-good-great","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zenmedia.com\/blog\/take-user-generated-content-good-great\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Take Your User-Generated Content from Good to Great"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re on the fence about purchasing a new product, whose word are you going to trust more: the brand that\u2019s trying to sell you the product, or a regular person who\u2019s already made that purchase and loves their item?<\/span><\/p>\n

Yeah, we\u2019d trust the regular person too.<\/span><\/p>\n

That right there is why user-generated content, or UGC, can be so powerful. Used correctly, it can be the content marketer\u2019s best friend – but only if you know how to make that content great.<\/span><\/p>\nUsed correctly, user-generated content is a marketer\u2019s best friend. <\/a><\/span>Share on X<\/a><\/span>\n

So how do you inspire your followers to create content that grabs users\u2019 attention? That turns those on-the-fencers into loyal customers?<\/span><\/p>\n

Just follow these tips, and you\u2019ll see your UGC go up in both quality and quantity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Commit to building a strategy.<\/b><\/p>\n

Tons of brands share what their followers post, but not nearly as many have a clear strategy that helps them decide when, where, and how to share that content.<\/span><\/p>\n

Engagement, of course, is key to a <\/span>successful social media strategy<\/span><\/a>, but engagement by itself isn\u2019t a strategy for encouraging user-generated content.<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead, think of your UGC strategy\u00a0<\/span>like any other marketing campaign<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

First, you need an objective: do you want your UGC to inform, or to entertain (or, optimally, both)? Do you want it to build awareness of your brand at large, or help promote a specific product or service? <\/span><\/p>\n

Next, decide where you\u2019ll be hosting the campaign. Where do your users congregate? Facebook? Instagram? Comb through your analytics to decide which platform is likely to give you the most successful results.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, you\u2019ve got to decide what it is that your customers will be creating. Will you be running a video contest? Requesting hashtagged selfies with your product? Asking users to share favorite moments with mom? The sky\u2019s the limit.<\/span><\/p>\n

Create a concise, specific ask for your users.<\/b><\/p>\n

If you want to generate high-quality content, it\u2019s essential to give users a clear, specific ask. <\/span><\/p>\n

Starbucks\u2019 Red Cup Contest is a perfect example. Every year when the holidays draw near and Starbucks\u2019 red cups start popping up at the coffee shops, the company asks customers to share artful images of their red cups on social media, with the tag #redcupcontest.<\/span><\/p>\n

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“Fueled by Light” \u00a0So it snowed about 2 feet over night and all that’s keeping me warm and sane is coffee \u2615 I’m entering this Starbucks contest and if I win, I’m gonna spend it buying coffees for some of you! #redcupcontest #Starbucks<\/p>\n

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